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{No Model.) 2Sheets-Sheet 1. V J. H. VINTON. BUTTON SETTING MACHINE.

No. 459,481. Patented Sept. 15. 1891.

WITNESSES- ml norms HTERB 00., mm. 094mm 0. cv

(No Model.) 1 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. 1

J. H. VINTON. BUTTON SETTiNG MACHINE.

No. 459,481. Patented Sept. 15, 1891.

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UNITED STATES PATENT- OFFICE.

JOHN H. VINTON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE HEATONPENINSULAR BUTTON FASTENER COMPANY, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

BUTTON-SETTING lVlACH lNE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 459,481, datedSeptember 15, 1891.

Application filed December 6, 1890- Serial No. 373,802. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,JOHN l-I. VINTON, a citiaen of the United States,residing at Boston, 1n the county of Suifolk and State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Button-SettingMachines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to machines for attaching buttons to shoes,fabrics, &c., the machine being what may be termed semi-portable-thatis, it is adapted to be secured to a table or bench and be operated by afoottreadle or other power. The machineis also of the class which isprovided with 1nagazines or removable tubes containing a series oftwo-prong fasteners, each of which has a button connected therewith.

The invention resides more particularly in the novelform of thefastener-holder or button-chute and in the peculiar construction of thetoggle-lever, which is adapted to intermittingly withdraw a button andfastener from the bottom end of the holder and attach it to a shoe orother suitable material resting upon the anvil directly below theholder,'all as will be more fully hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying two sheets of drawings, illustrating my improvement,Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a side elevation, in reduced scale, of thebutton-attaching machine, one side being removed and the treadleomitted, the working or toggle lever being in its normal position. Fig.2 is a similar view showing the lever in its lowestposition,corresponding to setting the fastener into the leather. Fig. 3is a partial front View. In all the foregoing figures the buttons andfasteners are omit ted. Fig. 4, Sheet 2, is a front elevation, enlarged,of the channeled strip or removable fastener-holder. Fig. 5 is an endview, and Fig. 6 is a side view, of the same. Figs. 7, 8,

and 9 are respectively front, plan, and side views of the fixed holderportion adjustably secured to the front of the head of the machine, ihecheck-spring being omitted. Figs. 10, 1.1, and 12 are side, plan, andend views of the forward arm of the operating-lever. Figs. 13 and 14:are side and plan views of the other or pivoted arm of said lever. Fig.15 is a partial side elevation showing the relation of the partspreparatory to Withdrawing a button and fastener from the holder. Fig.16 is a front view of the same. Fig. 17 is a horizontal sectional viewof the holder or magazine, showing the fastener and button therein, thelatter being supported by alight spring attached to the fixed holder;and Fig. 18 is a side view similar to Fig. 15, showing the buttonwithdrawn from the holder and spring and attached to the fabric.

A more detailed description of my improved button-setting machine andthe manner of its operation are as follows:

The machine as a whole is indicated by a, and the upper or head port-ionor frame by b. The latter is hollow and is provided with an enlargedbase-flange 1), adapted to rest upon or be secured to a table or othersuitable surface. The front side of the frame is provided with an anvilor horn a, in which is mounted the clinching-die a Fig. 3, &c. ,The faceof the die is provided'wit-h two concave depressions, which serve todeflect the two points and prongs of the fastener and also cause them tobe bent upwardly into the leather or fabric, substantially as common.Just above the anvil is adjustably secured, by screws 01,

to the head or front of the frame a button-v guide c', formed of twolongitudinallygrooved pieces. (See Figs. 7, 8, (7(1) The face a is cutaway to freelyreceive the back of the buttons i, the side grooves cbeing-to receive the fasteners. (See also dotted lines, Figs. 15, 16,&c.) At a proper distance from the lower end of the guide 0 is securedin front alight spring .9, preferably concavo-convex in crosssection,which bears against and arrests and at the same time centralizes thelowest button of the holder, thereby holding in check the column ofbuttons and fasteners during the setting operation.

The magazine portion proper 0 consists of a longitudinally-groovedpiece, which in use rests upon and coincides with the guide 0,

screws 11. serving to clasp it inposition. (See Figs. 1, 2, 3, 850.) Itwill be seen, referring to Figs. 5 and 17, that the rear or centralgroove 6' acts as a lateral guide to the buttons t by reason of theengagement therewith of the button eyes or shanks i. The front portion 6of the piecec is removed to freely receive the button,and the sidegrooves 6 receive the-fasteners, the latter resting one upon the other,as indicated in Fig.,16, the spring skeeping the column of buttons, &c.,in check, as before stated.

The other novel feature of my invention resides in the manner ofwithdrawing a button and its fastener from the holder and at- I tachingthem to the fabric f lying upon the die and anvil. This is accomplishedas follows: The upper portion of the frame I) is hollow, one side 12thereof being removable and secured in place by screws 02 Sheet 1 of thedrawings. W'ithin the hollow frame is pivoted at p a compound ortoggle-jointed operatinglever Z Z,jointed together at p at or near thecenter, the joint-pin also passing through a head 1, secured to theupper end of the vertical operating-rod r. The latter extends downwardlyand may be connected with and operated bya foot-treadle or othersuitable means, as common. Intermediate of said head and the base Z) therod passes through a spiral spring 8', which acts to return the lever,850., to the normal position (represented by Fig. 1) upon removingpressure from the rod The rear portion Z of the lever, Fig. 13, &c., ispivoted at p to the frame 1?, the other or forward portion or link,Figs. 10, 11, 12, &c., at the same time extending into the space 6,formed at the rear of the fasteners 70, resting in the holder 0. Thelink Z, where it enters the said holder, is reduced at w, its extremeend being grooved vertically, as at w, to receive a portion of thebuttoneye, and also being grooved or recessed at 10 on the under side,for the same purpose. Over the forward portion of the link Z is arrangeda hollow casing I), having a comparatively stiff spring a mountedtherein, the tension of which may be controlled by a top nutu'. Theother end of the spring is attached at 11, to the link Z. This springserves to keep the end to of the link practically in contact with thepoint b of the frame at the back of the holder 0 until the downwardmovement of the rod 0 forces the link or lever endwise between the eyesof the two lowest buttons and upon the shoulders of the fastener, thelever then being nearly straight, after which the continued downwardmovement of the rod forces the lowest button of the column from thespring .9 and carries it, together with its fastener, downwardly, thepoints of the fastener 7t at the same time being forced through thefabric f and clinched thereunder. (See Fig. 18.) Fig. 2also shows therelation of the parts, the button and fastener being omitted. It will beseen that when the button passes from the springs the next succeedingone is arrested and held in position centrally by the said spring untilthe return of the operating-leverin itsdownward movement withdraws itfrom the holder, as before described, the operation being intermittinglyrepeated in unison with the reciprocating move ment of the rod r. Uponremoving the clownward pressure from the rod the force of the spiralspring immediately acts to return the operating-lever upwardly to itsnormal position, Fig. 1. In thus moving upward the end of the portion 'Zis first carried rearwardly away from the button and fastener, therebyleaving undisturbed the button and fastener immediately above it,thespring u, practically, at the same time drawing the free end of thelever upward against the stop 5 (See Fig. 1.)

' In setting the fastener it will be observed that the entire levervibrates on the fixed f ulcrum p,tl;1e opposite end w of the leverbeingmaintained in contact with the bottom 19 of the frame by means of theupwardly-pulling springu. Now upon applying sufficient downward pressureto the rod 9', pivoted to the center or kn uckle-joint p, theangularly-separated contiguous ends of the parts Z Z, also jointedthereto, gradually approach each other, opposed by the tension of thespring a, until they engage or abut each other, the lever then beingnearly straight, but still in contact with the said surface I), the end20 meanwhile be ing advanced between the eyes of the two lowest buttonsand in engagement with the bottom fastener. The continued downwardmovement of the operating-rod causes the entire lever to vibrate on thepivot 19, thereby at the same time forcing the button from the spring 3and carrying it and the fastener in the same direction, the finalmovement forcing the prongs of the fastener through the material f andclinching them thereunder.

I would state that in practice a series of the holders 0 are kept readyfilled or charged with buttons and fasteners to be substituted for theempty holders as fast as the latter are removed from the machine.

I claim as my invention 1. In a button-attaching machine, thecombination, with a setting die or anvil, a lower guide open at itsback, and a removable button chute or magazine communicating with theguide, of a pivoted double-jointed springconnected working-lever havingits free end extending into said guide and adapted to engage a buttonshank and fastener, and an operating-rod jointed to said lever,substantially as described, and for the purpose hereinbefore set forth.

2. The combination, in a button-attaching machine provided with asetting-die, of a pivoted double-jointed spring-resisted lever having anend arranged to engage a button and fastener, a stationary holder havinga bent spring, as .9, arranged to engage the face of a button tocentralize it, and also serving as a check, a removable magazineprovided with a central groove or guide to receive the button-eyes, andan operating-rod jointed to the said lever, substantially ashereinbefore described' 3. In a button-attaching machine provided with asetting-die, a combined fixed-holder and guide for the buttons andfasteners and a removable holder or magazine, the combination therewithof a pivoted operating-lever stop-jointed at its center and having thefree or front end arranged to engage a button eye and fastener retainedin said fixed holder, a restraining-spring, as 10, attached to the freeor outer arm of the lever, a bent combined centralizing and checkspring, as .5,- arranged in front of said fixed holder, and aworking-rod, as 7', connected with and adapted to actuate the saidoperating-lever, substantially as set forth.

4. In a machine provided with mechanism for intermittingly feedingcombined buttons and fasteners and attaching them to fabric or othersuitable material, the combination of a transversely-separatedstationary holder, as 0, provided with side grooves arranged to receivetwo-prong metallic fasteners, a bent centralizing spring 8, attached tothe holder,

arranged to engage the face or front of a button to hold the column incheck While the previously-withdrawn button and fastener are prongfasteners, of a bent spring or yielding stop, as 3, having its innerface adapted to frictionally engage the front of the button to properlycentralize and adjust it preparatory to being Withdrawn from the holderand attached to the fabric, substantially as hereinbefore described.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN H. VINTON.

Witnesses:

' F. A. SMITH, J r.,

E. MARTIN.

